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I know from enough experience that weird things happen in Washington Square Park, but nothing could have ever prepared me for this.
A group of costumed men and women, wielding glowing, colorful lightsabers had begun to swordfight in the middle of the park. The built-in sound effects of the neon sabers whooshed as they spun, and clashed when they connected. In the darkness, the glow from the spinning sabers created disks of light which floated in the air as the people dueled around each other. While I did my best to sit still and admire the spectacle, my inner kid was leaping with joy.
The New York Jedi are lightsaber enthusiasts, the weapons made famous by George Lucas' "Star Wars" series. Lightsabers were used by heroes and villains who could use a supernatural, telekinetic power called the 'Force.' The Jedi, and their evil counterparts, the Sith, used lightsabers as their weapon of choice.
The New York Jedi are dedicated to learning and training the different techniques for lightsaber combat. Using either copies of the movie characters' swords, or their own original designs, the members learn the basics of sword-fighting, and learn to develop their own individual lightsaber-fighting style. One April night, I joined them at 440 Studios in Astor Place, where they hold two-hour classes for fellow lightsaber lovers.
The room had a friendly atmosphere, and the distinctive odor of the dance class that had used the room earlier. As the group connected the parts of their respective lightsabers, I walked in carrying a broomstick. The founder of the group, Flynn, (the only name he agreed to give me) looked at my situation, smiling, and handed me an extra lightsaber he had. While trying to keep the outer cool, detached journalist in tact; at this point, my inner kid nearly exploded in excitement.
The class began with centering meditation and stretches. There was a quick run-through of different thrusts, before the teacher picked me out to teach me how to duel. It was commented that I actually had some talent (inner kid screams "YES!") for lightsaber fighting.
Flynn, who specializes in fight choreography, and has worked on a number of films and theater shows, set up the NY Jedi Web site and forum over a year ago along with writer/director Marc Abbott. Since then, the classes have adapted and grown with each new member. Today, they always attract curious tourists and Star Wars enthusiasts when they go to Washington Square Park to practice their choreography.
The teacher for this class, Scott Ferrara, a writer, actor and martial artist, had met the group only recently. He demonstrated his specialty as he taught fencing-like foot and sword work. This style, members of the class said, was a form of the Makashi technique of lightsaber combat. This technique incorporates elements from Spanish and German fencing.
The techniques for the different saber styles are incorporated from the forms seen in movies and read about in the Star Wars magazines and books, which are, in part, taken from existing martial arts. However, the members will not refrain from developing their own distinctive style. For example, one member can be is seen in a YouTube video incorporating break-dancing into his fighting form.
"There are seven different lightsaber forms in the Star Wars universe," according to Flynn, and each student incorporates whichever one works best for them. Eachs form emphasizes different attacks, blocks, movements and even emotional investment. One form requires that the sword-fighter draw from his or her anger for strength, a quality that is usually associated with the "dark side."
The men and women of all ages who make up the team are everyday people: students, writers, actors, accountants, toy specialists, artists, teachers-all kinds of individuals, linked by their collective imagination.
The members develop story lines among each other. The more experienced lightsaber wielders earn the title of Masters, and take on 'padawans' (an apprentice to a Jedi master in the Star Wars movies). It's a world where their imagination gives them a freedom not usually seen in adults. They look fresh, with a gleam in their eye when they pick up the sabers. Can you remove the underlying element of... well... let's out with it... geekiness? No. It is, however, the coolest kind of geekiness you will ever encounter.
"It's not about geeks trying to one-up each other. These are geeks trying to better each other," said Jester Mermelstein, an NYU alumna and filmmaker, who admits having been dragged into the class, and has since become extremely proficient. She looks harmless enough at first, until you lose track of the blade she's spinning coming at you. "And there's nothing more supportive in the world than other nerds trying to help you become more nerdy."
"For me, the magic is that I can teach them martial arts, which is what I do for a living, in the guise of something else. So they don't realize that they're learning how to use real swords," said martial artist, yoga teacher and fight choreographer Damon Honeycutt.
"It's the uniqueness of the weapon that makes it so much fun," says Ethan Jones, cinematographer and member.
"People usually come into the classes looking to find out how to become that hero in their head; the one they've seen themselves as inspired by a thousand movies." Flynn says. "The idea of what a hero is varies with every participant, but the lightsaber is loved across the board. It gives everyone a common thread, the cool-factor of using a sword without being very dangerous."
At the end of the class, it's hard to tell whether I'm myself or my inner child anymore. I can make some use of the lightsaber, which I've stopped seeing as a plastic stick (although maybe I never did), and I can share in on the unidentifiable excitement of the group. I enjoy parrying attacks and learning the stories of everyone's characters. I enjoy the feel of the lightsaber's hilt. I've become the hero within myself.
*Classes with New York Jedi are held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $10 for classes. You can also watch them practice in Washington Square Park. To learn more about them, check out their site, www.nyjedi.com.*
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